Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a device for controlling a driving light of a vehicle, comprising at least one headlight with at least one light source, means for pivoting a light distribution which is produced and at least one optical element by means of which a beam path of the light distribution is adjustable.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,707,129 A discloses a headlight for a motor vehicle that comprises a rotatable shade formed from a left hand and a right hand shade and produces a vertically controllable shielding means, by means of which a vertical movement and setting of a separating line of a low beam distribution produced by means of the headlight along a main optical axis is controllable. Furthermore, the headlight comprises a means for detecting a condition, in particular the curviness of a road, and a lateral adjusting means for adjusting the main optical axis of the low beam means in a horizontal plane. The rotatable shade is adjustable by a pre-set amount according to information on the curviness of the road, which can be determined by means of a steering angle sensor, so that the vertical movement and setting of the separating line can be produced. In addition, the headlight comprises a movable reflector with a lighting means arranged therein that is laterally pivotable by a pre-set amount such that a light distribution pattern and what is called a “hot zone” are movable and adjustable.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2006/0039158 A1 discloses a vehicle headlight system comprising a light source and at least one reflector for shaping the light emitted by the light source into a high beam and a low beam. Furthermore, the vehicle headlight system comprises a first shield adjustable via an actuating element between a position in which the light from the light source is blocked across a maximum cross section and a position in which this light is substantially allowed to pass. In this case, the actuating element is adapted for adjusting the first shield in a plurality of intermediate positions between the maximal blocking and the essentially transmissive position in which the blocked cross section is less than the maximum cross section.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,281,806 B1 discloses an object detection and illumination system for a vehicle, by means of which the detection and illumination can be carried out such that the attention of a driver of the vehicle is directed to the detected object. The system comprises at least one sensor for collecting information about the surroundings of said vehicle, an image processing system for receiving data from the sensor and producing an output signal. In this case, it can be determined, by means of a processor, from the data of the sensor whether a particular object is located in the surroundings of the vehicle and requires the driver to be alerted. Further, the device comprises a light source drive system for receiving said output signal from said image processing system and for producing a light source control signal, the light source being able to be activated dependent on the control signal and the light distribution and direction of illumination of which can be controlled using the control signal. In such case, the light source is controllable such that the light distribution thereof can be directed continuously at the detected object, even if the vehicle and/or the object are moving relative to one another.
Furthermore, the non-published German Patent Application 10 2009 035 327.5 of the applicant of the present application describes a method for controlling a driving light of a vehicle with at least one headlight and with at least one sensor for detection of objects. In this case, if there is a risk of collision with at least one object, a special function of the driving light is activated to warn a driver of a vehicle and/or other road users.
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention are directed to a device for controlling a driving light of a vehicle which is improved compared with the prior art.
The device for controlling a driving light of a vehicle comprises at least one headlight with at least one light source, means for pivoting a light distribution which is produced and at least one optical element by means of which a beam path of the light distribution is adjustable, the optical element comprising a light passage opening and in the event of a detected dangerous situation being able to be pivoted into an optical axis of the light source, a beam of the light distribution being limited and/or deflected such that a limited light field can be produced in a pre-settable region in front of the vehicle, which light field has an external form of the light passage opening.
According to the invention, the optical element has further light passage structures arranged such that, starting from the light passage opening, by means of at least one of the further light passage structures a “high beam” light pattern or a “partial high beam” light pattern and thereafter the “high beam” light pattern can be produced by turning, pivoting and/or displacing the optical element in one direction, and by means of at least one of the further light passage structures a “motorway” light pattern and thereafter a “country road” light pattern can be produced by turning, pivoting and/or displacing the optical element in an opposite direction.
This makes it possible in particularly advantageous manner, even in the case of light sources which are in the form of gas discharge lamps and/or bulbs, to realize what is called a danger light function which can be easily controlled and is effective at low expense in terms of material and costs. In particular, the optical element is a roller or a shade, so that it can be used simultaneously for controlling the lighting range and various light distributions. It follows from this in a profitable manner that the danger light function and what is called an intelligent automatic light assistant can be realized simultaneously by means of the optical element.
Owing to the arrangement of the light passage opening and the further light passage structures on or in the optical element, all necessary light patterns of the vehicle can be produced by means of the one optical element and hence at low expense in terms of material and costs, with a transition between the light patterns taking place continuously and in a pleasant manner for a driver of the vehicle owing to the order of the arrangement of the light passage opening and the further light passage structures on or in the optical element.
Parts which correspond to one another are provided with the same reference numerals in all the figures.